I told you I might have ADD. One mention of squirrels on my twitter feed, and next thing you know, my mind is chasing them. I would really like to eat a squirrel.
In many countries, like Vietnam, squirrel meat is regularly hunted, prepared, consumed and enjoyed. Some claim the flesh is delicious. From the Guardian:
The owner of a local Budgens supermarket has defended selling squirrel meat as a sustainable way of feeding people and says it has a “lovely” taste.
That’s going down in London, England, and I’m fascinated. Europe isn’t the only continent experimenting and enticing me to follow. The Hmong, or Miao, people are an ethnic group with their origins in the Yangtze River basin. You may not have heard of them before, but they fought for the US in large numbers during the Vietnam War. Our government then allowed them to immigrate to this country in the late 1970s. Many of them opted for farming and hunting. From honest-food.net:
And of all the animals the Hmong hunt, they’re most famous for chasing squirrels. There are lots of squirrels that live in the mountains of Laos, so hunting our squirrels was a natural for them. Legend has it that when the Hmong showed up in the early 1980s, they slaughtered California’s squirrel population; fish and game laws were completely alien to these folks. By all accounts things are better now: The Hmong are, more or less, following the law, and the state’s squirrel population has recovered. But the September squirrel opener still draws hundreds, maybe thousands, of Hmong into the Sierra to chase Mr. Bushytail.
With a long history to draw on, the Hmong have created some interesting flavor profiles. Fresh ingredients are used as the base with squirrel as the star of the show.
I live in Malibu, California, a community known for its proximity to the ocean. My home is nestled into the Santa Monica mountains where all sorts of wildlife from deer to squirrel, from rabbits to mountain lions roam. If I ever found myself living naturally in this environment, there is no question I’d be feasting on these animals.
I’m guessing no small amount of you have recoiled in horror by now. While I’m fascinated with the idea of eating squirrel after watching videos to research this post, the larger and more important lesson is about challenging social norms. We find it acceptable to hunt and devour venison. Why would we not, as a society, experiment with squirrels? The answer is simple. Tradition. Folks are spooked by the unfamiliar. Unless you’re vegan or vegetarian, it makes sense and can be as safe. From the Seattle Times:
Melany Vorass is serious about eating locally. She raises goats, chickens, bees and worms at her Seattle house — and traps squirrels in her front yard for protein.
This is my kind of lady. Do your thing, Melany.
I did a lot of research,” she says. Squirrels tend to have a foraging range of a few blocks, she found. In the Green Lake area they eat a lot of nuts, seeds and bulbs, she says. “There’s plenty for them to eat without going into someone’s garbage.”
But just because an animal is healthy and eating right doesn’t mean it’s free of bacteria or parasites harmful to humans, Hopkins says. Cooking the meat properly, to 165 degrees, would eliminate almost all risk, she says.
That sounds like the system we use to kill bacteria in chicken. Seems we might be missing an alternative to the caged birds, in particular.
Here’s to keeping an open mind,
Kap
Go for it! Let us know if it tastes like chicken….lol
On it, Christine.
Gimme chicken , gimme cow ,gimme fish
In china ,dog is a normal menu item and horse can be found in all parts of Europe for your culinary satisfaction
I’m open, Kenny. Glad you stopped by.
I’ve eaten squirrel and it is very tasty when you make squirrel gravy. The meat can be greasy so go very lite on any type of ‘oil’ for frying. You can bake too but ‘short’ due to the thinness of the meat-little fellows don’t have much meat they are packing around:)
Squirrel gravy. Awesome.
Squirrel is delicious. I prepare it the same way you would chicken meat that is off the bone. Usually I will boil it, remove the meat and either use it then or freeze. Squirrel pie is great as is chopped up and made into a salad as you would tuna or chicken.
Thanks, Fawn. Very informative.
Oh Gabe. Oh my goodness. Please come to Boston and take a walk with Dez and I. He will catch you a fresh squirrel and you can come back to our house and figure out how to cook it. I ask you – are you sure you want to consume the energy of that crazy animal?? I feel after you eat it you may become a bit “nuts.”
Hahaha. Well played, Susan.
No need to travel abroad to enjoy squirrel dishes – just head to the Ozarks and parts surrounding. Several places that offer authentic regional cuisine. (FWIW, never tried squirrel but would if the opportunity arose now).
Booking my flight now.
I am an on and off vegetarian; will go for months without eating meat. If, however, the S hit the F, vegetarianism is tossed out the door for manufactured soy products don’t grow on trees. Traps and snares for the abundant squirrel would be immediate viable alternative. Hey, give it a try and throw a food review at us. If it is supremely tasty, maybe even Giada will catch on to it. (Heck if it was supremely tasty, we’d all be eating it already.) Thanks!
Loved this comment, Chester. Much appreciated.
I imagine you could cook them similar to Bourdain’s guinea pig lunch in Ecuador …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QS1POHhKi4
Thanks for sharing, Georgia.
Precisely. I don’t see much logic in society’s meat decisions. The fact that I consider my dog a member of the family is the primary reason I will very rarely consume meat at all. I, or anybody else, simply cannot draw that line with any clarity whatsoever. I stay judgement-free on this and most issues. But why can’t we all reasonably conclude that factory farming of animals is the complete opposite of a civilized society?
I think we can agree on that, Gavin. Thanks for chiming in regularly.
Just don’t eat the brains they have been linked to causing Creutzfeld-Jakob disease the human version of mad cow.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2008/08/31/outdoors31.ART_ART_08-31-08_C13_4HB68QG.html
Noted, Shawn.
I refuse to eat farm grown squirrel, only wild, back yard squirrel for me. Also found that a great way to work off some calories is to catch them by hand-just wear gloves.
Love this, Bill.
No need to go so far afield in studying eating habits – squirrel was a staple in America long before and after it became America. It takes a lot if effort, however, to feed a family on squirrel. Lot easier to raise a pig.
As for eating dog, leaving aside the moral questions, from all I’ve heard the meat of meat-eaters isn’t very palpable.
Good stuff, Charlotte. Several squirrels to feed a family of four, I suppose.
My man Kap! Got me laughing about this one. I read the first paragraph and my mind went all kinds of directions but thats my strange since of humor. After reading the post and then after reading all the comments now I want to try it. Let me know how it is once you make that leap and maybe give it a go. Keep’em coming Kap.
🙂
100%.
We hunted small game when I was a kid growing up in Pennsylvania, including squirrel. Have to say, it’s really not good. Greasy and not enough meat to make it worthwhile. I’m fine with other game meats. I’ll pass on the squirrel.
Note to self: Terri does not like squirrel.
Ok so let me get this straight… Renewable, organic, nutritious and delicious???? Please pass the 22 and a spork!!!!